Job training, prospecting on the wane

The Kativik Regional Government council, a group comprised of representatives from every community in Nunavik, met in Kuujjuaq from Feb. 23 to Feb. 26 for discussions and decisions on a wide range of issues.

The KRG is a public, non-ethnic regional government, with jurisdiction over all Quebec lands located north of the 55th parallel, excluding lands belonging to the Cree community of Whapmagoostui.

Raglan slows training and ­expansion

Xstrata's Raglan nickel mine in Nunavik has shelved its plans for expansion, due to a global slump in metal prices.

As a result, its planned $50-millon Tamatumani training program for Inuit workers has been trimmed from 70 to 20 trainees this year.

The Tamatumani training program was supposed to train 300 Inuit to work at the mine by 2013.

Last December there were 112 Inuit working for Xstrata out of a workforce of 647 and 16 Inuit out of workforce of 103 at Kiewit Nuvumiut, according to statistics presented at the recent meeting of the Kativik Regional Government council in Kuujjuaq.

Overall, there were 128 Inuit employed at the mine site or 17.07 per cent, up from 14.6 per cent of the total workforce last September.

Prospecting continues despite economic downturn

Mining exploration is down in Nunavik, Jean-Marc Séguin, the technical director of the Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, told the Kativik Regional Government councilors at their recent meeting in Kuujjuaq.

But the NMEF, a Quebec-funded organization to promote and support prospecting in Nunavik, will continue its activities until "favourable circumstances return."

The NMEF gets $300,000 a year from Quebec and support from KRG for its administrative costs. Now in its 12th year, the NMEF has trained more than 140 prospectors and found 225 seasonal jobs for Nunavimiut.

The NMEF plans to maintain its mineral prospecting training programs and to work with companies, supplying them with 20 to 30 workers a year. The NMEF also provides up to $5,000 to prospectors who want to explore terrain on their own.

But the dream of founding an Inuit-owned junior mining company will have to wait, until the global economy improves, Séguin said.

Inukjuak leads the way with welfare

As of this past January, Inukjuak had 263 people receiving welfare payments, now called "last resort financial assistance," according to information presented at the recent meeting of the Kativik Regional Government in Kuujjuaq.

This number accounts for about a quarter of the community's population of 1150.

About 60 per cent of those on welfare have no work, 27 per cent have some temporary limitations that prevent them from working and 12 per cent have severe limitations that stop from them entering the workforce, said Margaret Gauvin, director of the KRG's employment, training and child care department.

The highest rates of welfare recipients are found in the smaller communities of Hudson Bay, including Umiujaq, Akulivik and Ivujvik. Ungava Bay's Kuujjuaq, with a much higher population, has only 48 residents on welfare.

A "yes" to getting rid of trans fats

The Kativik Regional Government will support efforts of Nunavik's health and nutrition committee to get products high in trans fats off the shelves in Nunavik grocery stores.

Trans fats are liquid oils that have been hydrogenated or solidified. This allows baked or processed southern foods to keep their freshness longer and survive the long trip north.

Once in the body, trans fats clog arteries, raise harmful cholesterol levels and contribute to many health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and even cancer.

Most store shelves in Nunavik, as elsewhere in the North, are full of trans fat-rich, processed foods such as potato chips, French fries, chicken nuggets, microwave meals and pastries.

The KRG councillors voted to support efforts to replace these high trans fats with foods containing no trans fats.

Women's group to fight violence

Once the permanent board and bylaws of Nunavik's Saturviit women's association are in place, the group will start receiving money from Quebec and the KRG and a Nunavik-wide membership drive will follow, Lisa Koperqualuk told the recent meeting of Kativik Regional Government Councillors in Kuujjuaq.

Saturviit promises to promote the participation of women in local and regional elections. To this end, it's already lobbied Nunavik Government negotiators, requesting that gender parity be included in the discussions for the new Nunavik government.

Saturviit also wants to promote the development of resources to support families, take action against violence and encourage healing from family violence and spousal assault.

Youth hockey program falling apart in some communities

Nunavik's youth hockey development program is being compromised by a lack of manpower and facilities in many communities, councilors with the Kativik Regional Government learned at their recent meeting in Kuujjuaq.

Turnover in the local hockey trainers who are supposed to organize and work with students means support for the well-funded program is eroding in some communities.

In Kangiqsujuaq, where many were keen on the program, designed to keep kids out of trouble and inspire good school attendance, enthusiasm has fallen apart due to the lack of a trainer, said councilor Mary Pirlutuut.

Despite promises from municipal leaders, Ivujivik's hockey rink has been in too poor shape to use.

Frankie Gordon, the KRG's director of recreation, urged municipal leaders and parents to take a more active role in the program, which receives money from the Ungaluk program for crime-fighting programs in Nunavik.

Water testing needs improvement

If you live in Aupaluk, Akulivik or Puvirnituq, you're probably boiling your drinking water most of the time.

These Nunavik communities send in samples of drinking water to the Kativik Regional Government for testing less than half of the time, which means that a notice to boil may be issued even when the delivered water is safe to drink but hasn't been tested.

Kangiqsualujjuaq, Kuujjuaraapik and Kangiqsujuaq are tops with respect to water testing, according to information tabled at the KRG's recent council meeting, with Kangiqsujuaq sending in samples 100 per cent of the time.

Other communities are not doing as well, and a testing rate under 60 per cent is unacceptable, the KRG's municipal and public works department head, Frédéric Gagné told the council.

But lack of compliance with testing is not the only challenge facing water delivery in Nunavik. The water plant in Ivujivik is closed following a leak in the main waterline, while in Salluit, trucks can't get water from the river because it's frozen.

Lack of municipal manpower has also contributed to an overall shortage of water in Salluit where one KRG councilor noted he was asked not to take a shower at the hotel to conserve water.

Ungaluk hands out more money to fight crime

Information tabled at the recent Kativik Regional Government council meeting in Kuujjuaq shows projects continue to receive money from Nunavik's crime-fighting program, Ungaluk.

Ungaluk, which means the first ring of snow blocks at the base of an igloo in Inuttitut, is the result of a deal with Quebec to trade the construction of a provincial jail for about $300 million.

The most recent batch of projects to be approved include $5,340 for igloo building in Akulivik, $71,970 to the Uvikkait Dome's dance squad in Kuujjuaq, $33,100 to a traditional sewing program in Inukjuak, $29,425 to Puvirnituq's bullying prevention program and $120,645 to Quaqtaq towards developing a ski team for the next Arctic Winter Games competition.

Ungaluk received more than 100 requests for support in 2008, said its executive director, Andy Moorhouse, who is also the speaker of the Kativik Regional Government council.

For 2009, Ungaluk will receive another $10 million to distribute.

The board of directors for Ungaluk are appointed by Makivik Corp., the KRG, the health department and the Quebec government.

Nunavik's justice committees back on track

We need your support was the message delivered by Anita Gordon, coordinator of Nunavik's justice committees, to the Kativik Regional Government councilors at their recent meeting in Kuujjuaq.

Since 2001, Nunavik has been trying to build up a network of justice committees whose members would use Inuit culture to deal with offenses outside the court system.

But turnover and misunderstandings about the role of the committees – referred to sometimes as "little judges" – has slowed down their acceptance, Gordon said.

Eight communities, Kuujjuaq, Aupaluk, Kangirsuk, Quaqtaq, Salluit, Puvirnituq, Inukjuak and Kuujjuaraapik, now have justice committees.

Justice committee members receive a small honorarium for their participation.

But there's a lot of administrative paperwork attached to each case they consider, so Gordon said a pilot project based in Inukjuak will see a local justice committee coordinator hired to deal with the paperwork to see if this helps the committee run more efficiently.

Justice committees are mandated to provide mediation, do prevention activities and provide advice to the court.